Mac OS 10.6.6 brings Mac App Store, Angry Birds to OS X (updated)

Apple today released Mac OS 10.6.6 which includes the brand-new Mac App Store (press release).

The Mac App Store is just like the App Store for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. So it’s as easy to find and download Mac apps as it is to add your favorite magazine to iPad or a new game to iPod touch. You can browse Mac apps by category, such as games, productivity, music, and more. Or do a quick search for something specific. Read developer descriptions and user reviews. Flip through screenshots. When you find an app you like, click to buy it.

As expected, Apple is offering several of its own applications in the new Mac App Store, including iLife '11 component applications at $14.99 each, iWork component applications at $19.99 each, and Aperture 3 at $79.99.

Other notable highlights include Angry Birds (yes, for the desktop!), Twitter, Chopper 2, Weather and a metric butt-load of games.

You can grab Mac OS 10.6.6 from Software Update, although I recommend performing a complete backup, then updating with the larger, combo updater file.

• Mac OS X v10.6.6 Update (143.59 MB)
• Mac OS X v10.6.6 Update Combo (1.06 GB)
• Mac OS X Server v10.6.6 Update (143.50 MB)
• Mac OS X Server v10.6.6 Update Combo (1.15 GB)

I just hope that this isn't like the launch of the iOS App Store -- because I spent over $500 during the first two weeks.

Update:

After playing with AB, Chopper and a couple of other apps for a little I'm impressed by speed and launch times. They're amazingly fast. It's interesting to note how different developers handle porting touch-based games (like AB) to a keyboard and mouse or trackpad environment. AB simply turns the cursor into a finger that's used to click:

When's its time to actually launch birds, the thumb and index finger change into more of a grabbing hand icon.

Seriously though, do I really need another platform to play Angry Birds? And the answer dear friend? Yes, I most certainly do. AB looks amazing on my 15-inch MacBook Pro screen but especially amazing on the new Apple 27-inch Cinema Display, and the sounds also appear to have been upgraded too. (Either that or I've never heard the birds moan like that when they hit the ground.) I highly recommend that you plug your desktop rig into a nice set of powered speakers (like the M-Audio Studiophile AV 40s) to get the full effect.

The new UI will take some getting used to, luckily most applications support ESC to escape from full-screen mode and Command-Q to quit. So far it looks like a good effort by Apple, developers are undoubtedly thrilled right about now.

Have you purchased anything from the Mac App Store yet? Post your early review in the TalkBack.